Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities Re-Reads (Now Reading: Swamp Thing: 1971 through 1985)

That's a lotta goodness, folks! Can't recommend this run enough for a read or a re-read! Just look at my list vs. Ann's list: some agreement and some divergences, but all good! Excellent, excellent classic run!

You have certainly piqued my interest and I will (at some point) go back and read this series. Thanks to both of you.

LARDY/PALADIN

1) Negative Zone/Annihilus Saga (FF 251-256, Avengers 233)
2) Galactus/Doom/Trial of Reed Richards (FF 257-262)
3) 20th Anniversary/Liddleville (FF 236)
4) The Malice/Psycho Man Saga (FF 280-284)
5) Terrax/Nova/Galactus (FF 242-244)
6) "Legacy" (FF Annual 17)
7) FF vs. Ego (FF 234-235)
8) "A Small Loss" (FF 267)
9) Negative Zone II/Time Shift (FF 289-292)
10) The Nathaniel Richards Saga (FF 271-273)

ANNFIE/FANFIE

1. Negative Zone Saga/Avengers crossover (FF 251-256/Avengers 233)

2. Liddleville (FF 236)

3. Man and Super-Man (FF 249-250)

4. Ben's Old Flame (The Thing 2)

5. Ego (FF 234-235)

6. Evil Crypto-Disney Theme Park (FF 263-264)

7. Trial of Reed Richards (FF 260-262)

8. Galactus/Nova/Terrax (FF 242-244)

9. Dr. Doom (FF 257-259)

10. Terminus (FF 269-270)

Here we have one of the most gut-wrenching, heart-breaking moments in the long and eventful life of Susan Storm-Richards, the miscarriage of her second child, despite the best efforts from Reed Richards and other brilliant Marvel Universe scientists. And yet, upon returning to it in this re-read, it feels somehow...muted. But I don't think Byrne is to blame for that -- rather tellingly, there is a tangible mixture of intrusions (Secret Wars) and outright padding (the whole Trapster sequence, which feels like one of those end-of-the-night SNL sketches that almost always falls flat) which a now-seasoned creator like Byrne could never have possibly done deliberately.

I believe we are witnessing the beginning of Marvel's slow but steady descent into what I consider one of its darkest ages -- 1985 to 1987, or the tempestuous 3rd Act of the Jim Shooter Era, where, according to many disgruntled creators and editors, he allegedly went from Visionary to Tunnel-Visioned, from Firm But Fair Authoritarian to Tyrant Of Shakespearean Proportions. Now, granted, Marvel was also in the process of changing owners from a dime-a-dozen corporation to a clueless C-List movie studio (rumor has it one of the studio heads assumed that Marvel published Superman!) So I would imagine that Shooter found himself under 100 times more stress than earlier in his EiC tenure. Did he always deal with it well? Probably not, but in any show business environment, there are dozens of sides (if not more) to every story.

At this point, though, it's not all bad. New team-muscle She-Hulk hits the ground running thanks to Byrne (who has said he fell in love with Jen while collaborating with Roger Stern on the F4/Avengers crossover we reviewed a while back.) Jen has a special personal meaning to me, as I imagine she has to a lot of other women who suddenly found themselves to have grown half-a-foot taller during Junior High School, as if all the other trials and tribulations of adolescence weren't bad enough. As portrayed by Byrne & Stern, Jen blossomed into a good-humored extrovert who had come to embrace and love her bigness and her unusualness. Way ahead of her time, our Jen was.

I have to admit that I...found the Malice/Psycho Man/Microverse issues a bit too much to chew on...The intensity of the horror elements, the harshness of the violence, and the questionable portrayal of Susan and Reed with what might be interpreted as Byrne's dubious sexual politics, and I can see now why I just couldn't wrap my head around it enough to produce a coherent review.

I'm kinda put off by the basic idea that Reed's father was even more of a genius and even more of an imaginaut. The whole concept of the FF works best for me when the four founding members are the first of their kind -- ordinary yet extraordinary. Plus, it all felt pretty by-the-numbers to me personally, full of those same 60s-70s TV tropes that I had noted in many of Byrne's earlier FF stories.

And I think Byrne just went a bit over the top with the horror imagery and the level of violence in the Malice arc. I could accept such elements in, say, Byrne's "Alpha Flight" or "Next Men," but in FF they feel squicky to me, not a million miles from the era of DC where Johns/DiDio poured on the gore and the sadism and the cheap scares. Of course, Byrne's story is far more artful than any of the schlock-fests of that DC era. But the FF are as much a touchstone of my childhood (albeit thanks to their awful-in-hindsight DePatie-Freleng TV series) as various vintage aspects of the DCU. So it just doesn't feel quite right to me, the proverbial square peg in a round hole, I guess.

FF 280-284: The Malice/Psycho Man Saga

These issues may be controversial in some ways among fans, but I really admire what Byrne did with Susan Storm in these issues. Byrne had been building Sue up as a force to be reckoned with for some time before this point and had her put thru her paces on several levels. the goal was to define her as something much more than the meek, subserviant girl that she had unfortunately been portrayed as by Lee and Kirby with not much done with her in the interim to distance her from that portrayal. Well, here, Sue transitions from the Invisible Girl to the Invisible Woman, once and for all! Byrne starts this story in dramatic fashion by showing her take out the rest of the FF rather easily, while under the influence of Psycho Man's new Hatemonger, as Malice. He pushes the envelope a little by having her wear a costume with dominatrix motifs. I think that's a big part of the controversy, really--the costume. But I think if you show that she's not only powerful but also sexy--and not just the FF's maternal figure--it goes a long way to changing perceptions about her. And it was only a very temporary look--though a later creative team would double-down on the sexy a little too much.

To clarify, I don't think it's necessary for all characters with "Girl" in their name to transition to "Woman" or something like that, but I think it was for Sue. It was a reminder that she's not the Lee/Kirby Sue anymore, and in her case that was very important!

After she breaks the mind control, Sue is hellbent for vengeance, and the FF pursue the Psycho Man to the Microverse. There, the FF and Sue are put thru their paces and get involved in a local revolution with a culture they's encountered before. And Sue gets her (offscreen) vengeance. It's a powerful moment and is probably itself controversial, as heroes are always supposed to turn the other cheek. But I like that she is allowed some retribution, something that further shows this isn't the Lee-Kirby Sue. And, hell, Psycho Man deserved it!

Overall, an excellent and meaningful story that caps off Byrne's ongoing effort to redefine Sue.

Expect it tonight at the latest.

Sorry.



I know it's gonna happen someday...

Incredible Hulk 397-401

Living up their potential at last thanks to PAD's imaginative writing and Dale Keown's dynamic, dramatic art, the colorful group of Hulk rogues known as the U-Foes (think an evil Fantastic Four who INTENTIONALLY exposed themselves to cosmic rays) more than earn the double-page splash that they're given in 397. The U-Foes turn out to have been hired by the Leader to invade the Pantheon's headquarters and soften up the do-gooders in preparation for the grand entrance of the Leader himself and his elite guard, the Riot Squad. The first Hulk/Riot Squad battle, during the "Countdown" arc, had the misfortune of being drawn by Jeff Purves. The second Hulk/Riot Squad battle, seen in 398, is drawn by Keown, and it makes all the difference in the world. At the end, the fight is stopped by Pantheon leader Agamemnon, who informs the warring parties that he and the Leader have reached an "accord", much to the Hulk's chagrin. Meanwhile, a subplot which had been simmering during the last few issues reaches full boil in 397-398: a woman claiming to be Rick Jones's biological mother turns out to be a murderous psychopath who imprisons Rick in her basement and fatally stabs Marlo Chandler; Betty Banner knocks her out and frees Rick, but it's too late to save Marlo.

Or is it?

After confronting the smartest and most powerful members of the Marvel Universe, asking them to bring Marlo back to life, and coming up empty, Rick Jones is at his wits end when who should approach him with a proposal than the Leader! And he even has proof that he can bring the dead back to life -- the armored Riot Squad goon known as Redeemer is none other than General Thunderbolt Ross!

While all of the above is going on, the Hulk is off sulking until the Pantheon approaches Betty to talk some sense into her husband. Once this is done, Agamemnon informs the Hulk that he has deliberately set up the Leader for the Hulk to smash his mass-murdering nemesis once and for all.

Although the international terrorist organization Hydra is somewhat awkwardly shoehorned in as a plot device, this is still an immensely satisfying story-arc thanks to the characters' vivid emotional lives underpinning the story. The civilized facade that the Hulk has been sporting since 379 falls away completely at the climax, when the precognitive vision of the Hulk laughing during a rampage, as seen in 382, comes frighteningly true. Rick's desperation, the Leader's arrogance, and Agamemnon's cold calculation all come together brilliantly by the heartbreaking end.

But wait, there's more. In the epilogue, PAD sets up the Hulk's new status quo when Agamemnon tells the Hulk that he plans to take a hiatus from leading the Pantheon and go wander the world for a while, leaving the Hulk in his place to lead!

Artistically, 399-401 suffer from Keown's abrupt departure (poached by Image), with mostly adequate but sometimes jarringly ugly art by Jan Duursema in 399, the first half of 400, and 401, and Chris Bachalo in the second half of 400. But the sense that 400 is the grandiose climax of the plot threads that PAD has been weaving in and out of the book for the past 70 issues, is still immensely satisfying.

And I think this is as good a place as any to temporarily end the PAD Hulk re-read. Gods be willing, I'll be able to review the remaining 67 issues sometime next year. My thanks to Lardy and Thoth and anyone else who has been following my reviews.

Uncanny X-Men 125 – 128: the Proteus Saga

As I state above, the Proteus Saga isn’t just good: it’s plain fantastic. This is a GREAT story! Everything that came before had been pretty damn excellent now Claremont & Byrne & Austen take things to a whole new level. In fact, I would say that the only reason people don’t go bananas about the Proteus Saga is that what follows immediately after is the Hellfire Club and the Dark Phoenix Saga, which is even better! But just because the greatest X-Men story of them all is to follow shouldn’t take away from how excellent this story is.

What we have is a four part story where each individual issue serves a unique purpose from an action / montage perspective, all the while bringing together an overarching plot that is chalk full of character. You have an antagonist in Proteus whose super-powers are incredibly abstract and powerful, yet he’s kept close to reality by having an excellent, human backstory with Moira and Joe McTaggert. So we get the best of both worlds and the creators pull them both off perfectly: the action is uber-intense and the story is human and compelling.

Moira’s secret is at last revealed and she comes off very well here. At times she’s in distress and at other times she’s the master of her own destiny. Most importantly, she’s a complex character that is multi-layered and runs the full gamut of emotions in the story. I also think the clear implication was that Joe raped Moira—in a classic case of spousal rape—to produce the baby. That’s how I read it. It makes things much more heavy.

Jean also is paramount to the story in a variety of ways as readers get reacquainted with her. In the letter’s page in #124, the editor proclaims “new readers who have been wondering all the fuss is about: get ready to meet the Phoenix!”. Clearly they were building to this. Yet, while worries of Jean’s powers and Jean kicking ass are paramount to the story, the reunion leaves the readers feeling a bit uncomfortable. There is no beautiful reunion with Scott and that must have been jarring. But I think in the long run it makes what is to come in Dark Phoenix, including their really romantic and beautiful moment on mesa, so much more powerful. Jean’s seduction by Wyngarde is in full effect throughout and its incredible how scary it is—the sequence where they hunt down “the greatest game” and Jean joyfully prepares to kill the poor man is horrifying. It’s well done, and never once detracts from the main plot. These are some bold choices by Claremont and Byrne, by forgoing the easy soap opera reunion and keeping things complex.

The extended cast is a lot of fun as well. While the X-Men never once lose its leading men status, we get to see Havok, Polaris, Moira and to a lesser extent Madrox play a part. With Jean back, it feels awesome to see so many mutants running around together.

Once again, even without powers, Banshee shines in every scene he’s in. His exit doesn’t really come until the next issue, but it’s clear by the happy ending that he “must” exit the team; it just makes total sense from every storytelling perspective. But it isn’t overly said or melancholy, it just fits.

To me, even beyond the up front Proteus plot, this story is really about being the culmination of the 6 main X-Men coalescing as both a family unit and a fighting squad. This has been happening ever since the second battle with Magneto (and truly since Giant Sized #1), but it all comes together here. With Sean’s exit, that only underscores things, as they no longer need his ongoing dose of maturity and status as a peacekeeper. Cyclops is clearly the leader here, and a damn good one. The sequence with he and Wolverine brings together one of the final elements needed to get to this point: Cyke shows a clear concern over Logan, and Logan admits in front of everyone that he was wrong about Scott, who now has his respect, friendship and promise to fall in line. That is the single best scene of the entire story—including Storm and Nightcrawler sticking up for Logan.

Colossus also plays a big part in this, and it ties into the subplot Lardy brought up so nicely: here, he at long last emerges as the one to save the day, and he does so with style. There is a clear confidence at play here, from his defeat of Proteus to his holding Moira tightly to let her mourn her child. He feels very much like a leading man full of heroism and quiet empathy. His evolution to this point mirrors the growing resolution between Logan and Scott.

Cyclops says that the new X-Men will never be like the originals, who functioned as a well oil machine and then adds “maybe that’s not even a desirable goal anymore”. And in a nutshell, Claremont defines what the All-New X-Men are about. They are not the originals and more a collection of intense individuals, but nonetheless, they are no less a team—or a family—than the original 5.

It’s noteworthy that both Jean and Professor X stand outside this, though. When Professor X returns, there will be a definite tension and he will have a hard time understanding that. In fact, whenever both Cyclops and Professor X are both part of the X-Men hereafter, it will always feel awkward. Because Cyclops doesn’t need the Prof anymore. Professor X is best served now by training younger mutants like Kitty (whose appearance provides the Professor a reason to stay in the series) and then the New Mutants.

Even on top of all of this, which is heady stuff, there is still a ton of other things going on. We get a great interlude with Magneto that at first feels out of left field but shows that Magneto is quietly becoming a part of the recurring cast even if he’s not always on-panel. His scene showcases him once again as a complex, multi-layered man. We also see his wife Magda for the first time. It’s amazing that this scene won’t be followed up on for 20 issues, at which point he’ll truly evolve beyond the trappings of a comic book super-villain (and change how comic book villains in general are perceived). We also learn Wolverine had an adamantium skeleton; until now we just knew he had unbreakable bones. Each story continues to give us little tidbits of Logan’s mysterious and interesting past. There is also the heavy theme of taking a life, especially in the sequence where Moira prepares to kill her son but Cyclops stops her. Personally, I agree with Moira. Ultimately in the long term, so would Claremont. I think he had no easy answers himself at this point but eventually, the X-Men’s experiences would cause him to make up his mind.

Until this point there had been a lot of fantastic stories; now we had a masterpiece. What’s amazing is it only gets even better from here.

Proteus. Just when it looked like Claremont and Byrne were faltering, we get their best story yet. Far beyond the easter eggs of Colossus' great climactic moment, of seeing Havok, Polaris, and Madrox in action, and of a de-powered Banshee more than rising to the challenge, we get some backstory for Moira (and it's sad to think that, where Claremont & Byrne say a lot with a few well-written lines and some effective facial expressions, a modern creative team would probably do a gratuitously graphic flashback to the unpleasant events of the past.) Proteus, as irredeemably horrible as he is, is also a genuinely tragic character who never had a chance. Claremont & Byrne raise some very tough questions, but without being at all heavy-handed about it.

Regarding the Magneto scene, I wonder sometimes if Claremont & Byrne might have meant to pick up on that thread while they were still together, but couldn't come to a compromise of their differing views on the character -- after all, Byrne was one of the prime architects behind Magneto's return to villainy in the early 90s.

I also want to mention something that I've kept forgetting to say: the X-Men editor from the Magneto saga through the early part of Dark Phoenix is Roger Stern, and though he has always said that he didn't enjoy being an editor, he was sure good at it.

Uncanny X-Men 125-128

Lots of good points about the Proteus Saga, many of which mirror or enhance my own, but I'd like to highlight a few things:

I was stunned and transfixed by Wolverine's show of weakness in the face of Proteus' attack. I had totally forgotten about this! I found it very remarkable and further indicative of why I used to love the character. There's a lot unsaid (and un-narrated) as to why Logan reacted the way he did, but it really speaks volumes about his character. He'd come to rely so strongly on his senses and his self awareness that having those things taken away from him and subverted would truly bring a character like him, who had pretty much nothing else, to a dark place. I liked seeing Wolverine vulnerable and genuinely freaked out. He's really become a caricature of himself over the decades, all machismo and stoicism. It's nice to be reminded of how three-dimensional and fully realized the character used to be.

Proteus's powers really come off ill-defined and vague. I know much the same can be said of similarly extremely powerful villains, but trying to understand his powers took me out of the story at times. Apparently, for example, he could create living creatures (bees) that apparently continued existing from then on, he could turn the horizontal to the vertical and could manipulate matter fluidly. But he was limited by his burning out bodies and was vulnerable to metal. Why couldn't he manipulate his own body to stave off burning out or use his powers in any number of ways to travel without having to steal cars? And how could he affect Wolverine who had an adamantium skeleton? I dunno. It's a glaring weakness to the story, but all the great drama and interaction between the characters made it fairly easy to overlook. But age clearly brought more questions to the story than young adult-me ever had.

I, too, inferred what must have happened between Joe and Moira MacTaggert and how that produced Proteus. I'll echo the observances of how tastefully and not heavy-handed this was handled. Modern comics would, no doubt, "go there". But here it was all between the lines, and I miss that more subtle approach. Part of me would have preferred some sort of catharsis between mother and son (and even between Moira and Joe) before the end, but, as in life, there is often no cathartic closure. (I know this from personal experience.) But at least Moira has Sean for comfort.

So despite some flaws, this is a great highlight of a great era in comics, with even greater heights to come very soon. And, more and more, I miss narrative captions and thought bubbles soooooo much!

Good point about Wolverine's vulnerability, Lardy. What also made an impression on me was how Cyclops snapped him out of it, finally gaining his respect. So many good character scenes in this story.